Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes are vectors for malaria inhabiting India and throughout Asia. This video demonstrates the technique for performing microinjections of this species with transgenes that will confer resistance to the malaria to the mosquito. Much of the methodology demonstrated in this video is applicable to microinjection techniques of other mosquito species.
Abstract
The introduction of exogenous genes into the genomes of mosquitoes requires microinjection techniques tailored to the specific species of interest. This video protocol demonstrates a method used by the James laboratory to microinject DNA constructs into Anopheles stephensi embryos for the generation of transformed mosquitoes. Techniques for preparing microinjection needles, collecting and preparing embryos and performing the microinjection are illustrated.
Protocol
Preparation in advance of microinjection: Blood feed mosquitoes: for injection from Monday to Wednesday feed females on the previous Friday. To inject Thursday and Friday, feed females on Monday of the same week. Prepare the Quartz needles using program 2 and isotonic buffer (see Materials). “Laying tube” for the embryos is the regular Drosophila culture vial. Wet cotton wool in the bottom, with a wet disk of filter paper covering it. Prepare plast…
Materials
Material Name
Type
Company
Catalogue Number
Comment
Injection Quartz needles
Sutter Instrument
O.D.- 1.0 mm, I.D.-0.70, 10 cm length, are prepared by drawing capillary tubing into a fine 3-8 um with a shaft of approximately 100-300 mm micropipette puller.
Terenius, O., Juhn, J., James, A. A. Injection of An. stephensi Embryos to Generate Malaria-resistant Mosquitoes. J. Vis. Exp. (5), e216, doi:10.3791/216 (2007).